Web Letter
Are there people who have problems with a black man in the White House? Of course! Do they represent the majority of White Americans? No! There is a vocal minority of people who listen to Fox News and talk radio who get themselves worked up into a frenzy by the lies the right-wing media spews forth every day about Obama. They are a minority of white Americans, not anywhere near a majority, but even if they are 5 percent of the country and 95 percent do not feel the way they do, that still means millions of people share their views.
I hope we can transcend race in this country. George Bush left the White House despised by most people--most white people as well. Bill Clinton never received the majority of white male votes. No one would accuse white people of racism in their opinions of these two men. I live in the metropolitan Philadelphia area and listen to sports talk radio every day. White football, baseball and basketball players and their coaches, managers and owners are lambasted every single day, but the minute a caller has anything critical to say about a black athlete the phone lines light up with black callers accusing them of racism. One wonders if anyone can be critical of a black athlete or politician, including our president, without being accused of racism.
Substantial numbers of white people have disagreed with the policies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and both George Bushes. No one ever called them racists. I do not agree with President Obama's attitude towards Israel, and I believe he is letting himself get rolled by the insurance companies and trial layers in his healthcare reform plans. That does not make me a racist. I am sickened by what I hear from Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Fox News and their other talk show allies, but I do not want to see an America where one cannot disagree without being tarred and feathered as a racist. That is bad for America and does nothing to improve race relations in our country.
Mark Jeffery Koch
Cherry Hill, NJ
Sep 17 2009 - 8:48am










